Failed Mission
by Storm77
Summary: Daniel is kidnapped while trying to protect the other three horsemen. The kidnappers need the chip stolen from them back, and they're desperate. No slash


**I wrote this because I didn't really find many good Now You See Me fanfics so I thought I would try one of my own**

* * *

Daniel, Jack, Merritt, and Henley ran through the busy streets of New York as fast as they could. They ducked into an alley, Daniel in tow throwing boxes and trash behind them to block the path. Unfortunately, Daniel still heard their tail and knew they wouldn't be able to make it to the escape vehicle without being caught.

"Go ahead!" He yelled to the other three horsemen. "I'm going to distract them. I'll meet you at the apartment!" Jack and Henley seemed hesitant to leave him alone, but hard shoves from Merritt sent them sprinting again.

Daniel, glad to not have had to start an argument, turned around to face the oncoming security personnel. They had stolen a highly valuable computer chip which would have been used to break down government firewalls. The heist, though meticulously planned, had been dependent upon the ability to bring the chip back by jumping off the building onto a placed cushion. However, a new security system had been placed that hadn't allowed them to open the window. One little modification and their plan had collapsed.

Daniel turned his back to his fleeing colleagues and thought of what tricks he could do with his very limited resources. Danny had a few tricks up his sleeve, quite literally, but was still debating how to play them when the security personnel responsible for protecting the chip turned the corner. Danny tensed, knowing he was unprepared and vulnerable. He was not a very good fighter and was suddenly questioning his decision to stay behind. _At least most of them don't have guns,_ he thought. Once the chances of being successful in their heist had become less than the chances of failing Jack had excused himself to the bathroom and hacked into their system to announce all of the guns were to be inspected on the top floor. Many unaware newbies had fallen for it and diligently turned theirs in. The more experienced guards who would have been much more hesitant were away on a training session, which had been anticipated by the horsemen. However, by then the CEO of the company was suspicious, and they were without an escape plan. Once the order had been given for them to be searched they had hightailed it out, the chip tucked safely inside Merritt's jacket pocket.

Danny was startled forcefully back to the present when one of the guards attacked.

Quickly thinking, he grabbed an abandoned crate, which he attempted to swing at the man. The corner hit the side of his head with a terrible noise and splintered. He grunted but Daniel didn't have a chance to do anything else before another man was upon him. They landed hard on the asphalt, knocking the air out of Daniel's lungs. They struggled for control for a minute before the guard landed a hard punch to Danny's head. It left him dazed but also allowed for instincts to kick in. He pulled handcuffs tucked snugly inside his sleeve seemingly out of thin air and tightened them around the other man's wrist and the pipe running alongside the alley. He rolled to a crouch before standing up, but he found he had been too slow. The other guards had come around from the other side of the alley, effectively surrounding him. Guns were aimed at him from all directions and with a sigh he lifted his hands above his head. A man from behind him stepped forward and harshly pushed him down to his knees.

There was a brief moment of silence only interrupted by a man pushing his way to the front. "Do you mistake me for a fool, Danny?" The owner of the chip towered over him with an interesting mix of surprise, anger, and amusement splashed across his face.

Daniel thought about his answer carefully, because he most certainly did. The man was arrogant and ignorant; he had only made it this far because his big brother set everything up for him and then handed him the job. But Daniel wasn't about to tell him that when at least five guns were pointed directly at his head.

"Well, no, I don't, Mr. Fischer. But, you see, while you may not be a fool neither is my team. So you can stop the dramatics and either kill me or take me to your super secret lair that we broke into with only a few day's worth of research."

"I'm not going to do either of those things. Well, not yet. We've only just met! How inconsiderate of me would it be if I murdered you at our first meeting?" His humor reminded Daniel of Merritt's causing him to roll his eyes. Fischer's enjoyment of their conversation annoyed him.

"We both know that you want your chip back, and you think I can give that to you."

"Well that's because you can," Mr. Fischer replied with a relaxed smile. "I'm sure your team wouldn't want you to get hurt."

"You underestimate them," Danny shot back easily, full of confidence.

Fischer studied Danny's face carefully as if to decide if he was lying. "I don't think I do. Either way, we have somewhere to be." The guard Danny had hit with the crate snatched up a pole lying next to a dumpster, and, with a look of glee, viscously brought it against the back of his head.

* * *

He awoke in a bright, modern looking room and immediately attempted to sit up. His head felt strange and the light made it pound terribly. He reached his trembling hands to his head and when he pulled them away they were coated in red. He sighed and figured he must have a moderate to severe concussion.

A quick check of what he had on him led him to notice he had been carefully searched. His wallet, watch, and pack of cards had been taken. He was dressed in only his undershirt and slacks, which caused goosebumps to appear on his arms from the chilly air. He took a deep breath and held it; he was desperately trying not to panic. The situation was much too alike to the time he and his younger brother had been kidnapped when he was twelve and his sibling eight. He squeezed his eyes shut as his heart started to beat harder in his chest. He attempted to pull his knees up to his chest to calm himself but found he was restrained. Ropes rubbed at his skin and held his midsection and ankles to a shiny, metal chair.

 _No, no, no, no, no, no, no. Not good, very bad, very very bad,_ he thought as the beginnings of panic attack formed. He knew he couldn't have one now; he couldn't show his weakness to his kidnappers. _You need to calm down._ Utilizing slow breathes through his nose he thought of things that kept him calm. Henley's smile, Jack's face after their first show, Merritt dancing drunk. When he felt ready he opened his eyes again, very proud of himself for not succumbing to his anxiety.

He was just about to smile when Fischer walked in with two security guards trailing closely behind him like loyal dogs.

"Hello, Atlas. We were just about to call your friends." Danny felt a streak of the fear he had just so painstakingly fought off return. Now it was not for himself, however. He hated the impossible situation Fischer was putting his friends in. They couldn't give the chip back, if any of them were smart- which they were- they would have already given it to the Eye or destroyed it. That meant they would try and rescue him, which could easily be dangerous. Danny didn't think he could live with the guilt if they got hurt because he couldn't take care of himself.

Fischer pressed a few keys on a computer that was blocked by Fischer's back before mounting a camera on a tripod. He smiled wickedly before pressing a final button and the faces of three horseman appeared on the screen. He watched their faces to catch their reactions, which were mostly shown in microexpressions. Henley's face was pinched in anger, Jack's eyebrows displayed his concern, and Merritt had an interesting mix of the two that was barely noticeable.

"Say hello to your friends, Daniel." Fischer mocked. When Daniel had no outward reaction, Fischer's face twisted in tantrum like anger. One of the guards who had yet to look up from the ground stepped forward. Daniel swore he saw hints of hesitation or maybe even regret before he slammed the butt of his gun into Daniel's already damaged skull. Once, twice, three times before he finally stopped. Daniel's head- no, entire body- felt strange and he couldn't stop his head from rolling forward uselessly. Nausea crept into him and he fought for control of his stomach. When some of it had passed he forced his heavy head upwards to see his friends. Merritt was glaring fiercely at Fischer, but Danny was able to make eye contact with Jack and Henley. He nodded ever so slightly to let them know he was alright.

"What do you want?" Henley snapped, finally tearing her gaze away from Daniel.

"What a stupid question from a reportedly intelligent women. Did you think that I wouldn't want the chip back?"

"We don't have it. We already gave it to someone." The lie was hardly believable. Even though that was previously the plan, they must've not gone through with it. He could tell by the way she hesitated before answering and unintentionally blinked.

"Well, I would suggest that you get it back." He spoke slowly as if talking to a child.

Jack rolled his eyes. "It's not that simple. They already destroyed it."

"Well," Fischer began, "I don't believe you. You would want to give it to the FBI and you would need it to exploit us for your show. I am not dense. I know that you steal things from what you deem as bad people and show all of your crazed fans. You do not steal for the thrill of it or even the money. You are showmen." Fischer slid a gun from the waist of his jeans and pressed it against Danny's temple using precise movements.

"Wait!" This time it was Merritt who spoke, and he looked uncharacteristically flustered.

"You have twenty four hours to bring the 'destroyed' chip back to me. For now I will show you the punishment of your lying." He smiled sadistically and a guard grabbed Daniel's arm and pinned it against the chair. The sympathetic guard held him tight enough to hold him still but still looked reluctant to hurt him. Unfortunately for Danny, the other guard was much less concerned. He took his gun and brought it down harshly at the center of Danny's radius. He did it again and again, sharp cries of pain heard until there was a sickening snap followed by a gasp. Danny thought he heard shouting, but he wasn't quite focused to understand what they were saying.

A little voice in his head was warning him he was probably going into shock, but Daniel suddenly found he didn't care as drifted out of consciousness.

* * *

When Daniel woke up he was sprawled in the corner of the same room as before, but this time he was free besides his duct taped wrists. Before any excitement from not being restrained could be felt the agony coursing through his head and arm made itself known. He curled into a loose ball and tried to focus on escape for a distraction. He was alone, but he wasn't sure of what his plan should be. He could try to get out of the duct tape, but the trick he always used would cause awful pain to his broken arm. Even if he did get out of the tape he didn't see what good it would do. There were guards with guns outside and he didn't even know where in New York the building was. He felt frustration building within his chest as he discarded every idea he thought of. Just as he was debating whether or not anyone outside would be able to hear him shouting for help, Fischer and two different guards strolled in leisurely. The goons roughly grabbed Danny and dragged him to the center of the room by his upper arms. The movement caused the pain in his head to spike and he let his chin rest against his chest.

"I'm glad to see that you're awake!" Fischer smirked. "But I don't think your friends fully appreciated our show. Can you believe they tried to send in one of the horsemen in disguise as a security man? I thought I reminded them I am not foolish." He paused as if he expected Daniel to say something. "Bring him in!"

The door was opened and Merritt was shoved inside forcefully. He was indeed wearing clothes like the security guard's but Danny figured whatever else had been a part of his disguise must of been taken.

"Danny, say hello to Merritt McKinney. He's the reason this is about to happen to you."

Merritt immediately looked panicked. "Kid, I'm sorry. We didn't mean for-" he was cut off when on of the guards clamped a hand firmly over his mouth.

"I'm going to call your friends again. The more the merrier!" He pulled the same laptop as before from a computer bag hanging off his shoulder. The tripod had been left in the room; apparently the assumption had been made that Danny was too weak to be able to use it as a weapon. The assumption was admittedly correct.

When the feed connected the remaining two horsemen appeared. Henley's eyes looked like she might have been crying, but Daniel dismissed the thought because he had never known her to let emotions control her. Jack not only looked furious, but his hand was wrapped and there was a suspicious hole in the wall.

"We're trying to get the chip!" Henley said quickly. "You don't need to hurt them."

"No, I _didn't_ need to hurt them. That was before you tried a poor attempt of a rescue," Fischer corrected. "This is an entirely your fault."

The guards relinquished their hold on Daniel, who promptly collapsed on the spot. He let out a sharp cry of pain as he landed on his arm and jarred his head.

"Hey! Leave him alone!" Dylan shouted. _Huh,_ he thought, _when did he get here?_

Before Daniel had any more time to wonder about the new arrival, a boot was sent viciously into his ribs. Startled, he moved the arms to protect himself which seemed to anger the attacker. A stream of kicks followed, hitting his chest, head, and already broken arm. Once the blur of assaults ended Danny was left curled in a loose, protective ball on the floor. He heard Dylan shouting nasty insults while Merritt was asking him questions softly. The only answer he was able to give, however, was a few barking coughs that shook his thin frame. His body seemed to go numb and his senses were muted. The chaotic noise and blinding lights grew distant as Daniel passed out.

* * *

Daniel was awoken by someone shaking his shoulder. When he opened his eyes Merritt was leaning over him, his brow furrowed in concern.

"Hey, Danny. How ya feelin'?" Merritt's voice was hushed, which he appreciated, but it sounded strange from Merrit.

Daniel took a wheezing breath before he answered hoarsely, "Fantastic. What happened?"

Guilt was clearly etched on Merritt's face. "I'm so sorry, kid. They sent me in to confirm that this is where they were keeping you. We didn't think that they would… I'm so sorry." Daniel didn't reply; he was focusing on forcing his chest to move against his broken ribs. "Danny, we're getting you out now. Jack and Henley are outside. Do you think you can stand?"

Daniel's blush wouldn't have been noticeable to anyone but the man trained to watch people for a living. "Uh, no. Not without help."

Merritt simply nodded to try and ease his embarrassment. He grasped Danny's good arm, or better arm, considering that while it wasn't broken it was still covered in bruises, and swung it across his shoulders. He stood up and pulled his friend along with him. Danny winced and his breath quickened in an almost imperceptible gasp. Merritt felt another stab of guilt in his heart for causing Danny pain, but ignored it and slid his free arm around his slender waist. The simple journey from the room to the hallway was taxing them both. Maybe a minute after they had left the room Merritt glanced over to check on Danny. His heart quickened when he noticed the younger man's head was rolling forward and he was fighting to keep his eyes open.

"Kid, you gotta stay awake."

"'M tired," he mumbled.

"Yeah, I know, and I'm sorry, but you have to stay awake until we check out that nasty concussion of yours, okay?"

"'Kay." The rest of the walk was spent in an exhausted silence. The only sounds heard were the occasional grunt or gasp when they went too fast. When they finally emerged from the large building Danny let out a relieved sigh as sunlight hit his face. He desperately wanted to just lay down and rest there, but he obediently followed Merritt into the van parked outside. Merritt carefully laid him down, frowning when he saw his sluggish blinks. Jack, already in the driver's seat with the keys in the ignition, looked like he wanted to help but Merritt waved him away. Henley, though she would never admit it, blinked back the tears that were filling her eyes.

"Danny, are you alright?" She whispered.

"Just drive," was the slurred reply.

"Do you need a hospital?"

"No, we can't get caught. Just go back to the apartment." He sounded more aware, probably out of surprise they were willing to get arrested for him to receive treatment, but still exhausted.

"Are you su-," she stopped when she saw that his eyelids were now covering the majority of his eye and his body was relaxing against the floor.

* * *

The van had barely stopped moving when Dylan was opening the back doors. He looking frighteningly similar to a worried parent as he checked over each of them. He kneeled next to Danny and his frown deepened as he saw the damage for himself. He didn't say anything though, just searched for a position to hold Daniel that wouldn't hurt him further before giving up. He carried Danny up two flights of stairs to their run-down apartment and refused their offers to help. He gently laid him down on their old couch and cut his shirt away to look at his ribs. Henley gasped when she saw the ugly bruises mottling most of his chest. Dylan lightly probed a rib and Danny instantly drew back protectively with a quiet groan. His eyes fluttered, but the light shot stabs of pain shoot through his skull.

"Dylan?" He muttered confused.

"Hey, kid. Can someone turn off the lights?" Jack quickly moved to the switch and Danny's tightly coiled muscles relaxed slightly. "I think you have a pretty bad concussion. You need a hospital."

Daniel tried to shake his head but grimaced. "No. I'll be fine." It would have been a lot more convincing if his voice didn't sound like a croak. Dylan sighed but didn't point it out. "I'm going to have to wrap your ribs now. Do you need us to get you any painkillers?" Daniel shook his head, but when Dylan touched his ribs again, the pain suddenly overwhelmed him.

* * *

The next time Daniel woke up he decided he needed to stop passing out. He had come to hate the disorientation of not knowing where he was or what happened. It took a full minute before his memory returned to him, and few more minutes before his senses caught back up. He was in their cramped apartment, and it sounded like… Like there was an argument going on?

"He passed out twenty hours ago! That's not normal! You saw the way-" Jack shouted angrily. Henley shushed him, which made his face turn into an interesting shade of red. "No! Don't shush me! He needs a hospital, and if you don't let me take him…" his voice dropped mid threat as he realized why Henley had hushed him. "Oh, hey, Danny."

Dylan pushed past the two arguing and opened his mouth looking like he wanted to reprimand Danny. Then he closed it again and sighed. "How are you feeling, kid?"

"Fine." It was a ridiculous lie and Dylan rolled his eyes.

"You scared the crap out of me. I'm gonna be pissed if you do that again."

"'M not planning on it, promise." Dylan smiled and leaned down to ruffle his hair.

"Go to sleep."

* * *

 **Reviews to help me improve or tell me what you thought are always appreciated! If you have any ideas for a fanfic for Now You See Me review them or PM me please!**


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